Laughing makes it more difficult to breathe. Your air intake ebbs and flows, with the strength of your laughter following suit. If your struggle for oxygen becomes strong enough it will activate your tear ducts and tears will flow down your cheeks. The sheer force of your laughter will cause muscle contractions all throughout your body.

It’s possibly bewildering that people are actually prepared to pay for having other people cause this reaction upon them, but we assume that’s the impact intended from all stand-up comedy.

While comedy festivals by no means are a new occurrence in Stockholm, what we lack is a festival conjuring the same international comedians people watch from the comfort of their homes. This latest effort in trying to establish a highlight in the Stockholm comedy calendar is called Stand Up For Stockholm. As part of something called Comedy Fest Europe, the chances of seeing this become a regular occurrence are greatly enhanced.

The inaugural edition of the festival takes place over three weekends in October, gracing three venues – Rival, Södra Teatern and Cirkus – and boasts a busy schedule of familiar Swedish names, international comedians and live podcasts. Apart from Swedish podcasts *TSKNAS*, *Fantasipanelen* and *Alla mina kamrater*, renowned American podcast *Welcome To Night Vale* – the most-downloaded podcast in nine different countries – portraying a fictive city and its mysterious happenings, will be making a special episode of the show live in Stockholm.

As for stand-up, you will be served up a combination of oxygen deprivation and muscle contractions by Swedes like Petra Mede and Sissela Benn and international names like English veteran Jack Dee, Stephen Merchant (co-creator of The Office), Todd Berry, Jim Breuer, Reginald D Hunter and Whitney Cummings.

Stand Up For Stockholm, at Rival, Södra Teatern and Cirkus between Oct 10 and 26. See www.standupforstockholm.se for more